Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Emotions

Chapter Outline

Defining Emotions Classical Ideas About the Origins of Emotion

Universal Emotions and Facial Expressions Social Emotions Summary

Defining Emotions

Emotions are not easy to define. Terms that are synonymous with emotion

include sentiment, affect, mood, and feelings.

Affect

Affect is a general label that encompasses any kind of evaluation of an object.

Affect varies in direction, intensity, and activity.

Can be short-lived (ex: after being the target of an insult)

Or enduring (ex: pleasant association with the Christmas season)

Emotions

Emotions are thought of as short-lived reactions to a stimulus outside of the individual that involve both physiological and cognitive reactions.

Emotions are also intimately related to goals. Various culturally defined combinations

produce what we think of, and experience as an emotion

Emotions

Emotions include:

1. Situational stimulus (ex: being slapped)

2. Physiological changes (Ex: elevated temperature and heart rate)

3. Expressive gesturing of some kind (ex: furrowed brow and clenched fist)

4. A label to identify a cluster of the first three (ex: anger)

Sentiment

Sentiments are steeped in the social characteristics of the situation.

Sentiment relies on the responses of the individual to the stimulus and how that stimulus is understood by other human beings.

Close to emotion but emphasizes more the social parts of the emotional response not the physiological

Moods

A mood is a general psychological condition that characterizes our experience and emotional orientation for hours or even days.

Moods are considerably less specific than emotions.

Darwin and Emotion

Darwin thought if humans and other animals had common ancestors they ought to have similarities in emotional expression.

The theory Darwin developed about emotional expression was based on similarities across cultures and species.

If some emotions and expressions of them were universal, they must be genetically encoded.

James and Lange and Emotion

More concerned with the sources of emotions Developed a physiological notion of emotion

in which physical changes occurred first and then were cognitively processed and interpreted as emotion.

Freud and Emotion

Focused on how emotions could be developed unconsciously and how past experience affected the experience of emotion.

Universal Emotions and Facial Expressions

If involuntary facial expressions are – produced by the same emotional state

across individuals and are – identified by observers as meaning the

same thing then– we can believe they are universal

expressions of emotions.

Single-Emotion Judgment Task

% who chose the predicted emotion

Nation Estonia Germany GreeceHong Kong

Italy

Happiness 90 93 93 92 97

Surprise 94 87 91 91 92

Sadness 86 83 80 91 81

Fear 91 86 74 84 82

Disgust 71 61 77 65 89

Anger 67 71 77 73 72

Single-Emotion Judgment Task

% who chose the predicted emotion

Nation Japan Scotland Sumatra Turkey U.S.

Happiness 90 98 69 87 95

Surprise 94 88 78 90 92

Sadness 87 86 91 76 92

Fear 65 86 70 76 84

Disgust 60 79 70 74 86

Anger 67 84 70 79 81

Cultural Differences

Even if some basic emotions are expressed similarly across cultures, there are strong cultural influences that can suppress, exaggerate, or change the display of these emotions.

Display Rules

Cultural norms about emotional expression norms that deal with how we must modify our facial expressions to make them fit social situations.

Display rules are typically learned in childhood and become habits that automatically control facial muscles.

Display Rules

Display rules may require modifying facial expressions of emotion in several ways:– Greater intensity in expression– Less intensity in expression– Complete neutralization of expression– Masking one emotion with a different one

Collectivist and Individualist Cultures

Collectivist cultures process and display emotion in ways that protect and reinforcement social bonds.

Individualist cultures display emotions in ways that broadcast individual states and draw attention to the individual as the key social unit.

Expression in Collectivist and Individualistic Cultures

Emotional Element

Collectivist Orientation

Individualist Orientation

Estimate of emotional intensity

low intensity high intensity

Emotional content in vocal

cues

Higher attention to vocal cues

Higher attention to word

meanings

Expressing happiness

Promotes connection to

others

Reflects individual

achievement

Expression in Collectivist and Individualistic Cultures

Emotional Element

Collectivist Orientation

Individualist Orientation

Shame and guilt

Shame is of central importance

Guilt is more important shame develops later

AngerAnger is

dangerous, it must be suppressed

Anger is healthy, it promotes

assertiveness

GriefElaborate

mourning rituals

Brief mourning period followed by a return to

normal life

Cognitive Labeling Theory

Proposes that emotional experience is the result of a three step sequence:

1. An event in the environment produces a physiological reaction.

2. We notice the reaction and search for an appropriate explanation.

3. By examining situational cues, we find an emotional label for the reaction.

Social Emotions

Emotions that cannot be understood or even defined without reference to the social world.

Social emotions: – Involve an awareness of oneself in the

social context. – Emerge out of interaction.– Are often experienced in reference to a

societal standard.

5 Social Emotions

Guilt Shame Jealousy Empathy Love

Emotional Intelligence

The theory that an individual’s ability to understand the emotional content in social interactions constitutes a unique dimension of intelligence that is substantially different from intelligences measured by IQ.

Emotion Work and Feeling Rules

Emotion work attempts to change the intensity or quality of our feelings to bring them into line with the requirements of the occasion.

Emotion work occurs because we are subject to feeling rules—rules that dictate what people with our role identities ought to feel in a given situation.

Emotion Work Tasks for Flight Attendants

Emotion Work Category Detailed Description

Relax and smile Present a calm and cheerful demeanor.

Consider passengers as friends and family

Protect and comfort passengers as you would your family.

Do not engage in ridicule

No matter how passengers behave you may not ridicule them or their requests.

Emotion Work Tasks for Flight Attendants

Emotion Work Category Detailed Description

Never appear frightened No matter the situation you must suppress fear.

Sincerity Manage others’ emotions by remaining calm.

Do not blame passengers for anything

Even if it is their fault.

Never display anger. Training programs emphasize strategies for reducing anger.